I truly have a love-hate relationship with clear-bra’s. Clear-film is without a doubt the best protection you could give your car. It protects the paint 100 times better than any coating, sealant or wax ever can. However, I’m not a big fan of clear-film because it takes away from the natural luster that true paint offers and limits the amount of detailing to those portions of paint work.

PPF does not last forever. Clear Film a.k.a. Clear Bra for the most part, has about a 5 year lifespan on average.

Before Removing Any Clear Film: Determine the Condition

If the condition is good but showing signs of needing care, most all clear film can be polished with light/medium aggressive foam pads and a mild polish. Film is correctable (to a degree) to bring back some gloss (clean, protect, and extend the life) and also light surface scratches can be removed via machine polishing. If the condition of your film is great, then keep up with it! Film is a great investment and worth protecting.

Poor Clear Film Condition

It’s difficult to justify the amount of time it will take to remove, therefor it is also hard to determine a price during a quote. If we looked at all film the same without determining the condition (and just toss out a random price), it could very well come back and give you a run for your money. When I see clear film that is in very poor condition, I’ll usually ask the customer a few questions.

How long has the film been on the car?

Did the film come with the car during purchase (Manufacturer install)?

Is the car left outdoors or garaged?

What kind of clear film is it and who installed it?

How has the car been maintained, detailed and how many times?

Do you plan on installing new film after the removal?

Was the vehicle purchased from out of state? Which state?

How many others owned the vehicle before you purchased it?

These are just a few questions I may ask to have a better idea of what I’m about to be dealing with. Clear film in poor condition or way outdated is usually pretty noticeable. You could also determine by touch, if the clear film has a tacky feeling to it, it’s ready to be replaced.

The Removal of Completely Outdated Film

Having a customers complete understanding before any removal is done is very important. You really can’t put a figure on the amount of time it will take and the situations that you could be faced with. However, being prepared with the right products and tools will help the suffering of a horrible clear film removal experience. Having a Steamer, heat gun, 3M adhesive remover, clay bar, IPA (alcohol), plastic razor blades and a prayer are good place to start when getting ready to deal with the worst.

Here is a photo of the very respected Porsche! Most of all Porsche’s come with clear film on the side flares because they extend out and are very susceptible to road debris. They’re often overlooked for years. In this particular photo the film is over thirteen years old and has never been replaced. The film was very tacky to the touch and did not want to come off. An abundance of patience was needed to get the film off without damaging the paint. In the picture below we can see a number of things happening. We can see how the film is breaking down in layers, deep scratches, not coming off in one piece, and left over adhesive residue. In the blurry portion of whats on the floor, we can see small the dime size chunks it’s coming off in.

A steamer and some 3M adhesive remover is your best bet in these situations. I also tend to use denatured alcohol. I find it helps after the adhesive remover, or your IPA solution. The film is not going to come off in one section, so it’s important to work only the small area you’re focusing on.

After it was all said and done….

You can see the amount of abuse the paint was still getting due to the failure of the clear film. That was a fun detail as we can see below, I ended up having to wet sand this area down due to the age of the vehicle and the improper machine polishing on the painted side over the years. I was actually able to run my finger over the line and could feel the height difference on the clear coat. The paint was higher on the section that had the film, after the wet sand and correction the paint meshed together very well and the car came out amazing!

More worst case Clear Film Removal

When getting ready to remove film, if it’s a nice hot day, park the car outside for an hour or so. This will help warm the film up and allow it come off a bit easier.

In the picture below we have a case where the film came off in one section but the paint did not want to let go of the adhesive. Something like this is easier to tolerate and can be cleaned up much faster. Some 3M adhesive remover followed up with the clay bar is ideal. This particular vehicle, through my question asking, had this film installed by the dealer and was an out of state purchase. The vehicle was purchased out of New Jersey and spent a year sitting under trees before making it’s way to Orlando Florida for this sunning day clear film removal and detail. I can pretty much guarantee the clear film was over it’s 5 year life span and did not get the attention it needed.

Replacing Clear Film at the Recommended Time

Like I said above, often times these sections of film get overlooked. Replacing them as needed will make for a much easier and very less time consuming ordeal. Not to mention it keeps the car looking it’s very best at all times! Detailing companies should make it aware to the customers but also make sure the customers get their money’s worth out of the it.

In the picture below we have a car that is just that case. The film has meet its lifespan and has turned a dingy yellow. To allow the film to age more, would only lead to issues like I showed above. This is film removal as it should be! The paint looks amazing, everything looks amazing but this clear film on the 09 Aston Martin Vantage. This car had front end film that still looked great. But these rear flare sections had most likely been on since day 1.

To get these sections of clear film off I set my heat gun on low at about 12″ to 15″ inches away moving it up, down & side to side for about 15 to 20 seconds. Do NOT hold heat gun in the same place, keep it moving. Once the section is warmed up the film will come up rather easily. Start in a corner, get the little section lifted and continue to pull the film towards you. At no time do you try to peel it like a banana, sorry, that is the only way I can think of describing it right now. You want to constantly pull it towards you (as shown in the picture below). This will help lift all the adhesive from the surface. By doing like my well described banana approach, it would end up leaving a lot of sticky residue on the paint surface. Thus making it more difficult to clean up after the film has been removed.

Gloves

Gloves are very important in order to save your knuckles when doing larger sections. As you are grabbing and pulling the film toward you, you will find having a good grip is key. When taking a few seconds to get your composure back be sure to roll the film over on itself and not allow the sticky side to touch the paint again. The lager pieces can be rather trying at times, but to avoid bloody knuckles or blisters a good set of gloves will help.

Most Of The Time

Again, as in the picture below, not all the time does clear film just come right off very easily. I would say a good 90% of the time, some type of issue will be faced. Ferrari 599 GTB – The bonnet film was coming off with no problem and the quarter panels above the headlight lenses, not so much. Honestly, I would say this was caused from one of two things. 1) possibly the prep & 2) the car had been machine polished with disrespect to those small sections, but not so much the large piece of bonnet, if that makes sense.

Large Sections of Clear Film Removal

On these very large sections of film I like to loosen up all the edges first (I believe it releases some tension from the stretch). Having all the edges done first will also allow you to work back and forth increasing your work space. And you could find that your having better luck from one side to the next.

Benefits of Clear Film

Film is by far the best in paint protection to date. It may not be the best in looks as far as detailing is concerned, but you just can’t beat the protection it offers. I wouldn’t dream of tracking a car without it, which was the case for this white Porsche GT3. Not only track cars but also your daily commute vehicle. Things happen, a shopping cart might bump you, you may brush the garage every now and then, stuff falling out of a large semi truck, flying off the track… who knows? But things do happen while driving and we hate it when our paint gets damaged.

When these light mishaps happen and the vehicle has been protected with clear film, it helps you sleep a little easier at night. It may be a costly install but it beats the price of repainting anything.

In the picture below we can see some white scuffs that were unable to be polished out (they were pressed into the film). Luckily we can simply remove it, done!!! Problem solved. No harm to the paint, no trips to the body shop, certainty worth the investment!

Clear Film Removal on Extremely Expensive Vehicles

All the previous practice gets questioned when removing film from exotics, classics or anything of intense value.

As an active paint lover and a passionate automotive detailing enthusiast, Nothing is more nerve racking! A million things go racing through your mind before getting ready to remove clear film on such vehicles. That to me means, you’re getting yourself focused.

For safety sake I would recommend replacing the film every two or three years. Having the clear film fail or gain to much age on such paint surfaces could be a very horrible thing. Owners look to maintain these cars with top dollar spending/products for expensive vehicles, and if the car(s) is being driven, a clear film is a necessity. I would recommend no clear film at all for vehicles that are being shelved, stored, etc.

So where do we start when removing film from expensive vehicles? I would recommend starting at the lowest portion of the vehicle and the lowest portion of the clear film in the most discreet area first (this would be the test section). You would not want to start in the most obvious spot and have something horrible happen. Then I would measure up my sections and work from the smallest piece to the largest piece. Set the car outside on a hot day for an hour or two, have all your products and tools ready and be prepared to take your time.

To learn more about Clear Bras (PPF) here at Detailed Image, please review:

As always, thank you for checking out this article on clear film removal and a few of my examples. These are my own experiences with the removal of PPF. One of the key things to removing the film is finding a way to leave the least amount of adhesive residue behind. Take your time and pull the film towards you. Don’t pull to fast and try not to pull paint up. Get the customers full awareness and consent, ask lots of questions and have all your products and tools ready. I hope some of this information will be useful to you. If you’re located in Orlando FL (or Florida area) and have a few questions about your film? Give us a call! We are here to be of service.

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Purchase the products used in this article individually or in one convenient package here!

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed some of the various products used throughout the decontamination process and what each of their roles were. In this article, I will elaborate on the order of operations in which these products are used.

The first real step in cleaning your paint is to complete a proper hand wash. If you are unfamiliar with, or simply need a refresher on, the three bucket washing process, check out this excellent article: How to Properly Wash and Dry A Car. This washing process removes loose dirt and contamination from the surface of your vehicle, and the remaining contaminates are known as above surface bonded contaminates. These bonded contaminates are “stuck” to the surface and are not removed with traditional washing. This is where the decontamination chemicals and products come in to play.

The first 2 steps of this process have been added to the decontamination process to yield better results in less time, therefore creating a more efficient process even though it has more steps. Technically all of this could be done with detailing clay, however it could be very time consuming. As the saying goes, “Work smarter, not harder”.

Step 1: Tar, Sap and Bug Removal

Road tar, tree sap, and bug guts are all common sights. These can be a real chore to remove if you do not have the proper tool or chemical for the job.

Stoner Tarminator or CarPro Tar X are both great chemicals for tackling all of these issues. These products are specialty cleaners that will quickly dissolve tar deposits and loosen bug guts and sap making them much easier to remove.

Photo: Tarminator working to dissolve road tar from the lower panels of this vehicle

Step 2: Iron Removal

Iron particles (also known as fallout or rail dust) are everywhere, especially in industrial or heavily populated areas. These tiny particles may look like very small rust particles on lighter colored vehicles, but although they cannot be seen on dark colors, they are definitely there. CarPro Iron X quickly and easily removes these iron particles.

Photo: CarPro Iron X turns purple as it reacts with iron and works to dissolve the particles.

Step 3: General Bonded Contamination Removal

Now that the road tar, tree sap, bug guts, and iron particles have all been removed from the paint, all that is left is to clean up the rest of the bonded particles from other sources of contamination. Detailing clay, or synthetic clay substitutes like the NanoSkin Autoscrub products are needed to remove these remaining particles to produce a perfectly clean and contaminate free surface.

Properly cleaning and decontaminating your vehicle is an important part of the detailing process. With many new products available on the market, this is becoming an even more detailed process with more steps. When trying to implement new products into your routine, it can be difficult to understand when to use them. A very common question, for instance, is “Do I use Iron X before or after detailing clay?” In this article I will give a brief overview of some of the many decontamination products available on the market as well as a brief description of their intended use, and in Part 2 of this article I will discuss the general order of operations for each phase of the decontamination process.

Tar, Sap and Bug Removal

Photo: Stoner Tarminator Aerosol Can

Stoner Tarminator and CarPro Tar X are two of the most common products used for removing tar, bug, and sap buildup. These products are simply sprayed onto the effected area, and the solution will work to loosen the buildup from the surface making it much easier to wipe or rinse away. These chemicals make this type of task much quicker and easier than most manual types of decontamination (i.e. clay) for tar removal.

Iron Removal

Photo: 1 Gallon Iron X (Lemon Scent)

CarPro Iron X is perhaps the most common iron removal product on the market, and for good reason. Iron X works to quickly and easily remove bonded iron particles (also known as fallout or rail dust). Simply spray Iron X liberally onto the entire vehicle, and the chemical will react with any iron particles and dissolve them from the surface. The chemical changes from clear to purple as it reacts, so this is a very easy reaction to see on lighter colored vehicles. Beware of the smell, as it is far from pleasant, but the results make it tolerable.

General Bonded Contamination Removal

Detailing clay is traditionally used to remove other bonded contamination from a vehicle, however with the increase in synthetic clay substitutes, there are now many more options that perform the same type of job. The NanoSkin Autoscrub line consists of a set of wash mitts (fine and medium grade), pads that attach to a DA machine (medium and fine grade), as well as a decontamination towel. Each of these Nanoskin products perform the same job as traditional detailing clay, however they often produce results much quicker than normal clay. Also, these synthetic clay bars can be used time and time again, where a traditional clay bar will get dirty and may need to be discarded after just a few uses. I will also add that these synthetic clay alternatives have been known to leave behind light marring that is especially noticeable on darker paint, which is why I only recommend using these products if you intend on polishing afterwards. Do not let this turn you away from these products as the time savings is dramatic and in my opinion, far outweighs the potential risk of marring, especially since the marring is typically easily removed with a light polish.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series which will explain what order to use these products in to achieve the best results in the least amount of time!

Buy Products From This Article

Purchase the products used in this article individually or in one convenient package here!

With all the new products coming to the market last few years, it seems as though clay bars are becoming used less and less, especially with the enthusiasts and weekend warriors. Some have asked about their use and I wanted to quickly touch on it in this article.

Some of the new products that are making decontamination easier come in chemical form whereas others simply make the mechanical removal of contamination easier.

One of the most popular and my favorite chemical product is CarPro Iron X (also available in Cherry Scent). It is an iron remover that is very effective but also safe for the vehicle’s finish. Aside from really cleaning up the paintwork, it’s great to use on wheels to eliminate embedded brake dust. Iron X is extremely easy to use and it makes any further decontamination a breeze. Other great products include CarPro Tar X and Stoner Tarminator, which make removing tar a breeze. Even old, dried up tar that has been sitting on the paint for months will be removed completely or for the most part utilizing these products. My go-to tar remover is Tarminator, but I have enjoyed using Tar X many times. CarPro TRIX is also a good product for someone who doesn’t want to buy both Iron X and something like Tar X, but I find the individual products perform better and give quicker results.

The other products I mentioned are used by hand to mechanically remove contamination. Such products include the SM Arnold Speedy Surface Prep Towel and Pad, Optimum Opti-Eraser and NanoSkin AutoScrub Fine Wash Mitt. My favorite product however is the NanoSkin AutoScrub Fine Foam Pad used with the NanoSkin Glide lubricant. All of these products are meant to remove contamination much faster and easier than a clay bar. As mentioned, I prefer the pads instead of towels as I find they are much easier to hold and control whereas the towels can start folding over as you’re wiping a panel and that gets quite annoying after a while. The pads are also usable with a polisher such as the PC 7424 XP or the Griot’s Garage 6″ polisher. While I always use the pads by hand, the option to use with machine can make the process much easier and quicker for some individuals.

So, with all these products (some I haven’t even mentioned because they are very similar to the ones above), can we realistically say goodbye to the old, trusty clay bars? In my opinion, no. Reason being, many times we encounter contamination that is either too much for the newer methods to handle or simply takes too long compared to using a clay bar. One example is when some larger contaminants (dried up tar, tree sap, etc) really get into the paint and require quite a bit of scrubbing with something like the AutoScrub pads. This tends to take a while, but my main concern is always that it starts to really take a toll on my $50 investment! In such cases, I will reach for my trusty Clay Magic Blue or Red clay bar and eliminate the contamination rather quickly. This allows me to preserve my pads for the lighter contamination where it is much quicker than using a clay bar. Other situations where a clay bar has come in handy is removing paint transfer, usually from scuffs on a vehicle’s bumpers. Here I find that the newer prep pads and towels can’t do much work and not nearly as quick as a clay bar, so it’s surely a must having a few bars around.

In conclusion, I really can’t personally say RIP to clay bars just yet and probably not for the foreseeable future. However, the NanoSkin AutoScrub Fine Foam Pad has for a while now served for 80% or more of any decontamination, all of which used to be done via clay bar. In my experience and opinion, clay bars are still great and necessary tools within the detail industry, but the process has been improved upon very well with some of the newer technologies over the past few years.

Thanks as always for reading and I’d love to hear some feedback and opinions on the topic from readers and detailers alike!

]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/r-i-p-clay-bars/feed/13Heavy Chemical Damage: A Tale of How the Less Expensive Option Became the Most Expensivehttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/heavy-chemical-damage-a-tale-of-how-the-less-expensive-option-became-the-most-expensive/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/heavy-chemical-damage-a-tale-of-how-the-less-expensive-option-became-the-most-expensive/#commentsWed, 19 Mar 2014 12:00:02 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=12534

Some time ago, a client reached out to me in Atlanta and inquired about having an exterior detail done to his car. When he arrived to leave the car with me, we spent some time reviewing the exterior of the car. There was some form of over-spray on the car and I explained that until I could my hands on the actual problem I could not know exactly how long and how much the repair would cost. He understood and left.

We did our typical wash and decontamination and quickly realized that the over-spray was not coming off by either chemical means or clay bar. A little bit more testing showed that only a heavy compound was removing the over-spray. This was not the best news because there was no cheap way to compound the surface and follow up with the necessary polishing and jeweling to finish the surface down properly. I reached out to the owner and explained that the repair would be expensive.

He understood that time was money and there was no cheap way to repair the damage but still was not up to spending that amount. He said he would make a go at repairing the damage when he had time. He picked up the car and left on good terms.

A week later, I was out of town with my family. Because I had spotty service all of a sudden I get two text messages and a few voice-mails. All were from the owner of the over-sprayed car. He sent me a picture and left me a few urgent messages to call. Long story short, he had used some type of solvent from Home Depot on the hood paint and clear bra. What resulted was major clear coat and clear bra damage. He knew it went above his head and wanted to bring it back by for repair.

We removed the clear bra as it was totaled and what was left was a small portion of the hood in perfect shape and a large portion with major chemical damage. The clear coat looked like it was turned into a semi-solid then set back up with a lot of haze and funky orange peel.

Once the clear bra was removed (bottom portion), we see the scope of the damage to the clear coat.

Under critical lighting we can see the chemical damage.

Unfortunately, the new damage was more intense than the previous over-spray. The cost of the project was increased substantially due to loss and replacement of the clear bra, the wet sanding that was required and all the following steps to finish down the wet sanding.

After wet sanding we were able to clean up the chemical damage.

The near side of the hood is corrected, far side still has sanding haze.

Beyond new, even the hair on my arms are reflected clearly.

In this case, the repair for the “repair” was more than the original bill was going to be. This was a unique situation where some over-spray was not budging when using typical means while trying to fix it. Most “oops” situations are going to be relatively minor. But this could happen to anyone. This is where expert detailers have the experience to understand when to use chemicals, how to use them safely and when they should stay on the shelf. By taking advantage of their expertise, you empower yourself to have more safe options.

This isn’t a story of picking on anyone for trying to fix a problem by themselves. Good luck to any of us making it through life without at least once making a mess of something we are “fixing”. This is more about understanding that sometimes the best option is the one that cost more. Finding a cheap solution to a major problem can be like jumping in the rabbit hole, you never know how you’ll get out or how long it will take till you do get out (or how much you’ll have to pay to get out).

This is a very good question and one that comes up very often by those wanting to decontaminate their vehicle properly. There are MANY clay bars on the market from many different manufacturers, so my goal here won’t be to go into them specifically, rather as a general guide. Before reading further, I would highly recommend reading Todd Cooperider’s article on How To Properly Use a Clay Bar. Todd discusses a few things about clay bars and how to use them. Basically, it’s a tool used to abrade away contamination from a painted surface in order to make for easier and more efficient polishing, longer durability with protection products and, well quite simply, leave a smooth surface.

Most manufacturers provide different grade clay bars for different applications. The finer clay bars are usually less coarse and easier to knead, but they also work very slowly, rather abrade away contamination slower than the more abrasive bars. Normally there will be words such as fine, medium and heavy for different types of clay bars, but from my experience they don’t really translate across different manufacturer lines, so my advice is to always do a bit of research on the clay bar, or better yet try it yourself to determine which is which. Finer clay bars tend to do the job most of the time on lightly contaminated vehicles and leave a pretty good surface behind. On some harder paints and when used with a good amount of quality lube, very fine clay bars may not noticeably mar then paint at all. On more sensitive paints, even the finest of clay bars may easily leave some marring on the surface, which will require some polishing to remove. On the other hand, more abrasive clay bars tend to work much quicker in removing contamination, but at the same time will pretty much 100% of the time lightly mar the surface. On sensitive paints, especially if used improperly the aggressive clay bars can leave some fairly heavy defects that might even need two stages of polishing to correct.

Thus, clay bar selection will depend mainly on the level and type of contamination, but also on the paint being decontaminated. When dealing with something like fresh tar or rail dust, a fine clay bar should be all that’s needed and when used properly will either eliminate or greatly reduce the need for polishing after using that clay bar. On the other hand, when the contamination is something that has built up over the years, tree sap or really stubborn tar, a more abrasive clay bar will greatly reduce the working time and many times will even be necessary. However, as mentioned before, when using an aggressive clay bar one should almost always be ready to polish afterward in order to refine the paint.

I have found the bar in the Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit G10 to be one of the finest around and I try to use it as much as possible when dealing with sensitive paint or light contamination. The Blackfire Poly Clay Bar is another clay bar I have heard is very good and fine in terms of abrasiveness, but I have not tried it enough to confirm. My personal favorite clay bar is the Clay Magic Fine Grade Clay Bar. While it’s called “fine”, I would probably put this bar in a slightly more aggressive category than some of the truly fine bars on the market. Reason being, it can surely decontaminate paint quicker than the finer bars when used the same way, but at the same time will leave surface marring more often as well. I do always try to use it as finely as possible to lower the amount of marring it leaves, but since I always polish after using a clay bar, I don’t worry about it too much as it speeds up the work quite a bit. When necessary, I reach for my Clay Magic Medium Grade Clay Bar. The red medium bar works much quicker than the blue bar and as expected, easily leaves noticeably more marring on the surface. Thus, I use it only when necessary, which fortunately enough for me isn’t that often.

There are many misconceptions about clay bar selection, such as finer clay bars will never leave marring and more aggressive clay bars will work faster. While that may be true for the most part, as mentioned above, there is more to it than that when selecting the right clay bar for your project. Just because a fine clay bar might leave a perfect surface after decontamination doesn’t mean you should spend 4-5 hours removing over-spray or heavy buildup on the paint. Instead, you can use a more aggressive clay bar that will remove the contamination in 1-2 hours, then you can spend the other 3-4 hours polishing the paint and getting a much better result. Similarly, you don’t want to use the aggressive clay bar just because it works faster. Yes maybe you’ll shave off an hour when using a red Clay Magic bar vs a blue one, but you also may end up having to polish that same car for a few hours in order to fix the surface marring left by the red bar. In short, I would recommend following the general rule in detailing when selecting products … start with the finer solution and work your way up as deemed necessary.

The clear coat that protects your car is porous and filled with micro-ridges similar to your skin. From a distance your clear coat appears flat but when you look at it through a microscope you see that it has ridges. Contamination can easily become lodged between these areas and reduce the optical clarity of your paint, thus creating a dull shine. Spray a clay lube on the surface and glide the Clay Magic Fine Grade Clay Bar over these areas and you will pull out contaminates. This is similar to the process of exfoliating your skin. Thus you gain back a clean clear coat that is very smooth to the touch and contaminant free. An additional benefit to prepping your paint with a clay bar is that waxes and sealants adhere to smooth and contaminant free paint much better. This means that the wax or sealant will protect and shine for longer. We recommend cutting this extra large bar into 4 to 5 pieces so you get multiple fresh uses from one large 200 gram bar. Store the bar in this container to protect it from contamination in the air in-between details. Use this clay bar to properly prep your paint before using a polish, glaze, sealant, wax, etc.

Throughout my career, both as a detail enthusiast as well as business operator, I’ve tried many clay bar types. Some were too aggressive for general use, some weren’t aggressive enough to remove everyday contamination and some were simply junk! The one that always stood out and the one I kept using a good 80-90% of the time is the Clay Magic Fine Grade Clay Bar. This blue mild clay bar is aggressive enough to remove almost any contamination and it does it fairly quickly. It decontaminates paint without leaving much or any marring at all, so only a little and sometimes no polishing is required after using it. From minor overspray, to tar, to paint scuffs on the surface, this clay bar works really well to remove it with very little effort.

While it is a great clay bar, I believe the lube is also important in keeping the surface as marr-free as possible. I used the Dodo Juice Born Slippy Clay Lube Concentrate as clay lube for a long time, but have recently switched to Nanoskin Glide. I feel that the Nanoskin lube was just as great as Born Slippy, but didn’t leave any film behind whatsoever, whereas the Born Slippy would many times leave a thin film over the paint. This film would easily wipe off and wasn’t a big deal as I always follow up decontamination with polishing, but it’s a big plus that I don’t have to think about it with Glide.

Going back to the actual clay bar, I would recommend having the more aggressive Clay Magic Medium Grade Clay Bar on hand as well. Reason being, the blue/fine bar will work 80-90% of the time to remove all and any contamination with little effort. However there will be times when overspray, tar or other contamination is just about fused with the paint finish, so trying to remove it with a fine clay bar will take a very long time or maybe even be pointless. This is where having the more aggressive clay bar will speed things up in a big way. The best part is that not only are you saving time, but the marring you cause with the more aggressive clay bar will be just about equal to the marring caused by using the finer bar for a longer period of time to try and eliminate the same contamination. In other words, while the Clay Magic Fine Grade Clay Bar is what I find most useful when decontaminating vehicles, it’s not a product that can do everything on its own. Thus, having the counterpart Clay Magic Medium Grade Clay Bar available for use will just give you that much more versatility.

Lastly, I wanted to mention that clay bar maintenance (yes you need to maintain it!) is extremely important for keeping the clay bar clean for a long time and ensuring it doesn’t scratch up the paint with bad contamination from the previous job. There is a lot of advice out there on how to clean the clay bar and most of it is good advice. I find that simply brushing it regularly with a toothbrush or some fine plastic bristle brush will keep it clean for a long time. I don’t like to use any aggressive cleaners, etc. so I normally either just brush it under a stream of water or in a bucket with soapy water to clean it up a bit better. I also always store my clay bars in their own DI Accessories Clay Bar Storage Container. This helps me separate not only the different clay bars, but also the same type of bars that I use for different parts of the car, such as upper painted surfaces vs inside of wheels that get a lot of buildup.

Well that’s about it for this review. I would highly recommend anyone looking for a clay bar to pick up the Clay Magic Fine Grade Clay Bar and it will more than likely help with any contamination issues. Just remember to use it with light pressure and plenty of lube and the finish should be free of any defects induced by the clay bar.

Thanks as always for reading and I encourage everyone to post their own advice and results with this particular clay bar.

]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/product-review-clay-magic-fine-grade-clay-bar/feed/6New cars and paint contaminationhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/new-cars-and-paint-contamination/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/new-cars-and-paint-contamination/#commentsSat, 31 Mar 2012 23:28:37 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=7305For those who have read a lot of articles here on the DI Blog, you’ve seen the various pro detailers talking about decontaminating paint, particularly on cars that are several years old and older. Over time contaminants attach themselves to the paint, and when you glide your hand across the finish during the washing process for instance, it actually feels gritty or rough. These contaminants build up over time, and the normal washing process won’t remove them. The tools we have at our disposal to properly remove these contaminants would be to use detailing clay, a chemical neutralizer, or a combination of both.

So we know that it’s a problem on older cars and vehicles that don’t get regularly detailed, but what about brand new vehicles?

Not too long ago I purchased a new family vehicle (white), and didn’t have the time to perform a new car prep on it. Just a few months after that when I finally did get the chance, I found a tremendous amount of what’s commonly referred to as “rail dust”…small metal particles that embed into the paint and eventually show up as small rust blooms (very easy to see on white paint).

A good customer of mine had recently purchased a 2012 Porsche Panamera in white, and it was a few months before we could get our schedules together for a proper detailing. This week I had the opportunity to work on it, and I found exactly what I had expected…a tremendous amount of contaminants in the paint. During the wash process I could tell that the surface was very rough, and I knew that I had a lot of work to do in order to properly remove it all.

Fortunately our industry continues to move forward rapidly with new product development and technologies, therefore the decontamination process goes much more quickly and thoroughly than what it did just a year or two ago. And with the new chemical decontamination products on the market like CarPro Iron X, not only do we have the ability to do a better job of the removal process, but we also have the ability to actually see just how much contamination we’re dealing with.

Iron X works at the chemical level to neutralize the iron deposits / contaminants in the paint, and during the process of neutralizing these deposits, it changes color to a deep red or burgundy color.

Below is a closeup photo of the Porsche Panamera surface that I was working with. I applied the neutralizer to all of the painted surfaces, and after a few minutes it was reacting with the iron deposits and showed just how bad the contaminants were. Keep in mind…this car is brand new with just over a thousand miles on it.

Once the Iron X had the opportunity to neutralize much of what was stuck on / in the surface, the claying process went much more quickly.

So the moral of the story is that just like older or neglected cars, new ones also have a lot of contaminants in the paint that need to be removed before applying your favorite wax, sealant, or durable coating.

Here on the Detailed Image Ask A Pro Blog, we typically write about the latest vehicle that we put through a major transformation, or do product reviews, or tutorials on how to perform specific detailing techniques and processes. But this article is a little bit different and overall a feel-good story for everybody.

All of the Blog authors regularly get comments and compliments on our work, and each and every one of us gets a tremendous amount of satisfaction out of educating others on the fine art of proper automotive detailing. We can always tell just how thrilled people are when they successfully do a process, use a tool, or try a new product that they may have previously been reluctant to try. Helping others is why we’re here!

I wanted to share some feedback from a client / friend / blog reader from her first big experience at doing any detailing in hopes that it can inspire others who may have been on the fence about trying proper detailing techniques and procedures. We all do our best to present the readers with well laid out plans for detailing procedures and do it in a way that it will benefit both experienced detailers and beginners alike. Based on her experience, I’m pretty confident that we have accomplished our goals.

I met Cindy last year when she first bought her Ferrari 355 Spider, and have spoken with her about detailing several times during different Ferrari events since that time. She was intrigued by the amount of care that needs to go into these cars (any car for that matter), and she was amazed at the art and science involved in doing it all the proper ways. I could tell that she was very hesitant to try any of it herself, and was even worried about washing the car.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago…

I received a phone call from Cindy and she told me that her car had been selected to be shown at the Ault Park Concours d’Elegance down in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was in a bit of a panic type situation, because she didn’t feel that her car belonged with all of the “show cars”, there wasn’t enough time to get the car into me for Concours preparation, and she didn’t know how to do it herself. I tried to assure her that with with a little coaching and some research, she would be fine.

On the morning of the Concours, I was walking the field and looking over the cars and scoping out the detailing work on many of these multi-million dollar vehicles and comparing it to the cars that I had done (actually there was no comparison…but that’s another story). When I finally saw Cindy’s car, I was very impressed with the level of work that she did. I stopped to chat with her and congratulate her on the great work, and she kept telling me that she never could have done it without my articles and the others here on the Detailed Image Blog. She had an ear to ear grin, and about that time the judges came to speak with her. I wished her luck, and went on with my business.

A little later in the day Cindy walked up to my display with an even bigger grin on her face that she had earlier…she won first place in her class! This was her first show (and a major Concours at that), her first time trying proper detailing techniques, and she earns herself a win. I was so happy for her, and she kept saying “it’s all thanks to you Todd!”. Now I felt great about the F40 that I did last year (it won first place), and a 275GTB I detailed that won an Award of Distinction, but to me her victory was the best of them all. The work and effort that I put into writing all of those articles was partially responsible for her victory, and provided a proud moment in her life that she will never forget.

Cindy was kind enough to do a little write-up about her experience, and I wanted to share it with all of the Blog readers:

I purchased a Ferrari Spider 355F1 in June 2010. A week later, I joined the Ohio FCA and quickly realized there was a lot I needed to know to properly caring for my car. Prior to buying the car, I realized a number Ferrari owners expressed the fact that their “car had never be in the rain”. Really? This level of protection was beyond my understanding.

I quickly learned there were a lot of rules involved in proper care of a Ferrari. In 1982, I ruined the red color on my mother’s new Oldsmobile when I waxed the car in the sun. To ensure I did not do any damage to my cars over the past 20 years I used the automatic drive though as my preferred car wash method…that is until I purchased the Ferrari Spider.

To say I had no detailing experience would be an understatement.

I realized Ferrari’s owners carefully maintained their cars. I had better understand what I did not know to not damage or decrease the value of my car.

A few weeks after purchasing the 355F1, I met Todd Cooperider while having the car serviced at NJB. Todd pulled out a light and a jeweler’s type eyeglass and started looking at the paint on the Ferrari. Thank goodness, I had not washed the car yet! Todd shared many tips for washing the car that saved me from damaging a nice finish.

I was hesitant to do more than a simple car wash as I did not want to use the wrong product in the wrong place or scratch the paint. I finally read “How to Properly Wash and Dry a Car” and used the washing tips Todd shared in the later summer of 2010, but not much else. In March 2011, I read “Leatherique Leather Care How-To” and cleaned the leather seats. I never heard of using a clay bar on a car before and was scared to death of the concept. I learned about the value of the clay bar in the fall of 2010 at one of Todd’s presentations, and I planned to have Todd do to it to my car this summer.

About two weeks before the June 2011 Ault Park Concours D’Elegance, I was asked to enter my car into the show. I had never had a car in a car show before…ever! I had never even detailed a car before.

I went to the Ask A Pro Blog and printed every blog and piece of data he shared. I talked to Todd right after I agreed to the show to see if he could get me in to car clay bar and wax. He assured me; I could use the clay bar, but said he could squeeze me in, as I was still nervous about doing damage. Two weeks is not a lot of time and as time ran out, I found myself reading “How to Properly Use a Clay Bar” at 4am the day before the event. I decided to give it a try…I did it! It was easy and Todd’s techniques worked exactly as he said it would.

I put 29 hours into the car 2 weeks before the show following Todd’s guidance (interior, wheels, wheel wells, exhaust tips, engine bay, and hand-polishing the paint!). It was easy following his advice! I was shocked how easy.

Todd freely gives a large body of knowledge to anyone who asks. His advice, proper coaching, and coaxing resulted in my Ferrari 355F1 winning 2 awards at the 2011 Ault Park Concours D’Elegance.

My car won 2 awards at the car show thanks to Todd Cooperider!

Thanks Todd!

Cindy A.

Lebanon, Ohio

Here Cindy is shown with Bob Miller, President of the Ferrari Club of America – Ohio Chapter

And her First Place Ribbon!

Congratulations to you Cindy on your hard-earned win on the Concours lawn, and thank you for reading the Ask A Pro Blog!

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. . . .”
– Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities

Somewhere near the end of March, I booked two cars: 1996 Mazada Miata M Edition and a 1998 Jaguar XK8. I didn’t realize it at the time that I would be detailing these two cars back to back, nor that they would come to symbolize the best and worst of the mid to late 1990’s. I did know one thing though, their “winter of despair” was over and their “spring of hope” was on the horizon.

In the mid-90’s life was great in America. The market was roaring, Dave Matthews was restoring hope to a whole generation of music lovers who thought touring jam bands might have died with the passing of Jerry Garcia, and what better way to blow some profit than a cool, curvacious car of the times. The boxy, wedgy, bland styles of the 80’s and early-90’s had finally taken their step aside and imported speed and style was all the rage. On top of that, when there is excess in the bank, there is excess on the streets, and what better way to show it off that to take a perfectly sound, safe, and sturdy car and chop off it’s top to let everyone take a good look at the inside of the “good life”. Yes, the roadster was reborn.

And these two roadsters, were the best of two worlds, like the two cities in Dickens’ tale. The Mx-5 Miata M Edition played itself sweetly as a curve hugging, fun driving, limited edition to the middle class who wanted to play but just couldn’t pay the entry fee required to be in the XK8. The XK8, had classic, British interior luxury and an exterior that made it the fastest selling sports car in Jaguar history.

But, as Dickens wrote so long ago, it was also “the age of foolishness”. Due to poor foresight and incredulous greed, the same era that helped build these two vehicles and their intrinsic ownership experiences would (a decade later) bring about a “winter of despair”. Seen in the financial world through a recession and seen through these two vehicles by their current state of existence.

First up was the 1996 Mazda Miata MX-5 M Edition. From 1994-1997 Mazda produced a limited number of these M Editions, putting smiles from miles on the faces of blue collar workers everywhere. In fact, of the years in which these cars were produced, 1996 was the most expensive (priced at around $25k) and provided its driver with real wood shifter knob and E-brake handle, M Edition logos everywhere, and a few performance features including Enkei Wheels wrapped in high performance tires. It came in Starlight Mica Blue that year, which had some beautiful flake and really “popped” in the sun. Combined with an almost caramel colored European-stitched leather and this was a Miata lover’s Miata and fun for days.

But, with limited edition emblems, comes limited production of parts, and an increase in cost to maintain. Add that to a recessing economy, and you end up with the car that pulled into my shop. In nearly 15 years it had never been polished and had more than it’s fair share of age marks and crust.

After my initial review of the vehicle’s condition I was ready for the cleansing process. Because the paint was original, and even though it only had 70-some thousand miles, I wanted to be gentle. So I gave it an Optimum No Rinse (ONR) bath to start. For this step I like to use a Quart Sprayer with ONR mix in it to presoak and then proceed with my tradition ONR bath.

After the wash it was time for decontamination of a deeper level- clay. In almost 15 years, this paint had never been clayed either and it wasn’t too bad.

As I clayed the car, I noticed that the sides of the car had two different finishes. The top half was a traditional base coat/clear coat, but the bottom half was topped off with a protective layer that was like glue for grime. Look at the difference of the clay from this area. Yuck!

Next it was time for the engine. Again, I didn’t want to damage any of the internals, so I opted for a gentle ONR wash with various brushes and some Optimum Power Clean (OPC) diluted 2:1. After soaking the engine with OPC, I agitated the engine and surrounding areas with various brushes including an EZ Detail Mini.

Once finished with the agitation, I sprayed ONR mixture (to clear up the muck and neutralize the OPC)over all of the engine parts and surrounding areas and wiped everything up with Micro-Fiber towels. I finished by dressing the engine with Chemical Guys Fade to Black. What I love about this dressing is its low sheen and ability to just spray and walk away. No wiping is necessary and you never end up with artificial shine.

After cleansing the engine, I payed a little visit to the fuel cap area. A little ONR, some OPC and a gentle brush made for easy work and a much nicer place to fuel-up.

Before:

During:

After:

Next came time to correct the paint. I knew exactly what I wanted to use to bring the “starlight” out of the “mica blue”. I used my Flex 3401 and a Cyan Lake Country Hydro Tech 6.5 inch pad with Meguiar’s 105. You may have read that M105 is basically the best thing since sliced bread in the compound world; and while I have used it before, I never experienced it fully until I combined it with the Lake Country Hydro Tech 6.5 inch pad. Man does this stuff work awesome! Check out the power of this combo on this worn out, crusted up, aged paint.

Back under the lights, it was time to put the top down and get busy on the interior. I pulled out the mats and pre-treated them with OPC diluted 3:1. Let me tell you this stuff is terrific. Even at 3:1, it cleans with power! They were pretty soiled and I gave them the random orbital – carpet brush treatment as well as some extractor love.

Before:

During:

(Check out the Loose Dirt on the Table!)

After:

I then cleansed all of the interior textiles with the same diluted OPC, including the leather. To do this properly, I used a combination of brushes from long-bristled Boar’s Hair to short bristled Tampico nail brushes.

Areas Before:

Areas During:

Areas After:

I finalized the interior by feeding the leather and dressing the vinyl. For the vinyl I used Meguiar’s Quick Interior Detailer which protects the surfaces from UV rays, leaves a factory correct matte finish, and smells nice and clean. I also sealed the wood with Klasse All-in-One. Although it was designed and used traditionally as a base for Klasse Sealant, I love using it on interior surfaces like wood and aluminum.

With everything cleansed and and protected it was time to run the Metro Vacuum and put the mats back in to their proper positions. With the top back up it was time for wax.

I applied Dodo Juice Supernatural as my LSP. I wanted something to really help protect the “pop” in the paint and make this car feel as ethereal as it looked. You can see my waxing process here .

And finally, before turning out the lights for the night, I attended to the emblems. Again using Klasse All-in-One, I used a foam swab to not only bring out the shine in the emblem, but also make sure there wasn’t any unsightly unpolished paint left behind .

Before:

During:

After:

Next up was the 1998 Jaguar XK8. Although this one has been to death’s door, it has come back again. In 1998 this car was in its 2nd year of production. On top, its long hood and short rear was a throw back to the E-Types of the 1960’s. Underneath, it chassis, was borrowed from the XJS and shared with Aston Martin’s DB7. From the factory showroom this car oozed class through it’s classic English-luxury -burled walnut and hand stitched Connolly coach work (front seats). As you accelerated away, you realized how well it had blended its roots from the XK and XJ’s of the past to create a pretentious machine that could back up its looks with a fearsome roar powered by a 4.0Litre V8. While the Miata provided fun, inspired envy was created by the XK8 as it put down its top in the lovely sun of the late-90’s.

But, this one had also seen it’s “winter of despair”. In fact, when the owner of this XK8 picked it up in 2006, he got a great deal. Why? Because the original owners had run out of money and the ability to maintain the car to its original standards. But this is the difference between the two vehicles’ “new owners”. The Miata can be restored with not so much money and kind of quickly, but Jaguar parts are still Jaguar parts…so it happens slowly. and with expense. Slowly, the new owner acquired parts, purchased new leather, new paint, and the list goes on. In fact, the day he picked up this car from this detail, he had me order new emblems and a few other parts we are going to install to finalize the car’s soul restoration.

When the car came to me, it was very clean. After being stored for most of the year, the owner took it out on the road only a few weeks prior and ran it through a couple of washes at the local swirl and shine. Therefore, once again I opted for a nice and easy Optimum No Rinse (ONR) bath to start. After which, I was left looking at the following paint blemishes.

I decided to treat this car just like the Miata. I used my Flex 3401, but this time, a Tangerine Lake Country Hydro Tech 6.5 inch pad with Meguiar’s 105. I knew the paint was soft and I wanted to see how 105 would finish with a Tango Tech pad. While it wasn’t perfect, it was what I was looking for…about 90%+ correction. This is a daily driver in the Summer, which means tunnel washes most of the time. So, to go for perfection is not realistic for this vehicle in terms of maintenance as well as budget for the detail itself. I tried stepping down after wards to see if I could bring more clarity to the paint with 205, but it made no difference in that aspect. It was pretty slick to go from one-step to LSP from a compound!

After polishing the paint, I pulled the car out to be washed like the Miata. I gave the car another bath, this time with some Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss to clean off any oils and residue from the correction step. This time though, I used a pressure washer and washed the top too.

I then pulled the car inside and gave the engine an ONR wash and wipe down. No dressing was needed as I check back later and the finish that was left behind was already perfectly matte and factory correct.

Before:

After:

Now that the exterior was done, it was time to address the interior. This owner is light on his car, so a quick vacuum with the Metro Vacuum took care of any loose debris, but the leather was a different story. A few years back, the owner had the seats replaced. They were not an issue. But the door panels and rear seats were a different story. For this I used Optimum Power Clean and a short-bristled Tampico brush to cleanse the leather. It was amazing to see the difference the OPC was making one such a light surface that already looked pretty clean.

Before:

During:

After (note- the leather here was very brittle and the owner said not to worry if it lost some…which they did. They’re going to be replaced soon too I imagine):

Before I turned off the lights for the night, I dressed the seals and waxed the car using my Polishing Pal and some P21S Concours Wax. I just think the British Racing Green (BRG) warms right up with this wax. I use it every time on BRG.

So how did they turn out? While Dickens ended his tale with “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known,” I end mine with a picture show. Like Dickens writes, after the work that has been performed here, I definitely had a nice rest. But, thanks to this work, these cars won’t. They have been restored to a former glory, ready for a spirited drive with the top down, and look at what was and is the true pleasure of a roadster. Once again they have a “Spring of Hope” after a long “Winter of despair”. Here are the two cars’ final shots, alternating to show how a Tale of Two Roadsters ends happily after nearly 15 years and over 10 hours each.

Thank you for taking the time to view my write up. Please feel free to leave me a comment or ask a question.

Chances are if you spent your childhood practicing perfecting your Karate moves with the help of Mr. Miyagi, you might have also developed some equally bad waxing techniques. In the movie, The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi teaches his student, “Daniel-san,” to wax a car in circular motions with your right hand. He makes no mention of how much wax to us, but he does remind him to “breathe”. He then instructs him to remove wax in the same circular motion with his left hand…again, not forgetting to breathe (see the clip here). While breathing is a good idea, there is no basis for (waxing or removing wax) in a circular motion. In fact, it may create new blemishes to your freshly prepped paint. To properly wax your vehicle, employ the following tools and techniques, and you will ensure a slick finish that is properly protected and shines streak free.

The first thing you need to do is properly prep the paint you will be waxing. This includes washing the paint thoroughly, claying the paint to remove embedded debris (read Todd’s article here), and drying the surface well with either forced air and/or appropriate microfiber towels. Having paint that has been carefully prepped will ensure the wax fills in the “pores” of the paint and bonds with it completely. It will also guarantee that you get the most out of your wax of choice in terms of looks and durability. Waxing a surface that has not been properly prepped may leave a slick finish at first, but it will degrade quickly because the wax hasn’t truly bonded with the paint. Using a good lube like Optimum No Rinse and a quality clay can ensure you don’t trap any particles under the wax.

Here I am spraying my clay lube

And here’s what I was able to remove from the paint

Next come the tools. I like waxing with a Polishing Pal and a 4- inch Finishing Pad. The reason I choose these tools is that I like how they provide even pressure to the surface I am working with. If you are using a thin applicator or a microfiber to apply wax, your fingers create an uneven surface and uneven pressure during application. The resulting effect is a surface that will have uneven waxing. You will end up with areas where the wax will be hard to remove, streaks, and possible shading left behind from oils. The Polishing Pal and a 4- inch Finishing Pad paired with the right application technique will provide an application that is even, complete, and comes off with ease.

Another consideration is your wax. While not a tool, it is the highlighted product of the whole process. Which wax you ultimately choose is up to you, but how much is pretty much the same across the board. If you watch Daniel-san, he dunks the towel into the wax tub and lathers the paint with way too much wax. While not everyone uses this much wax, many users apply more than necessary. A thin, almost invisible layer is all you need. To ensure full coverage, you can use multiple layers, but to the classic “good thick coat of wax” again has no basis. You end up wiping off all but an extremely thin layer that has filled in the paint pores and bonded with the paint. When your spending all that money and all that time waxing your car, the last thing you want to be doing is wiping away excessive amounts that could have been used for another waxing, or spending time removing caked on wax. Most modern waxes are in fact designed to be removed with ease, as long as you apply it properly. Note: In the pictures for this article, I used lots of wax for illustrative purposes. Normally, I would use much less wax and it would be difficult for the camera to show what I was talking about.

So why not use circular motions like Mr. Miyagi taught us? For one, circular motions have no real basis as far as coverage. It probably is supposed to mimic the action of an orbital machine, but all it ends up doing is causing halo effects that can be hard to remove and introducing potential marring in a circular motion (the type you just spent hours polishing away). The best technique is to use one of the following: The Linear or The ZW. In both cases the wax the motion of application is from front to back (following air flow). What differs is the motion of the applicator.

The Linear method uses a linear, front to back motion creating long, straight lines of wax on the paint. Work in a 2’x2’ section at a time going back a forth within the section several times (maybe 3-5 section passes). Always work from front to back only. By working the section for some time, you ensure proper coverage. If you do introduce micro-marring from any dust trapped between the pad and the paint, they will follow a straight line and be difficult to see.

Here are a couple of pictures of the Linear technique with increasing amounts of wax so you can see what it should look like.

The ZW method still works a 2’x 2’ section at a time, still following the airflow path. The difference with this technique is that you will be moving the applicator to make Z’s and W’s. I like to make Z’s as I work 1 pass and then W’s for the next pass. This is my favorite application style. It seems like I can get the paint pores from all angles with this style and with the strokes being shorter, any micro-marring that may get introduced, is introduced in short strokes making them even more difficult to see.

Here is a photo of what it would look like (again, lot’s of wax used to allow the camera to show you the look)

Here is a picture of Linear and ZW side by side

Finally, after the wax has cured as per instructions, it’s time to remove it and see the shine! For this step I like selecting a towel like The Great White. White towels show dirt easily, and if you’re getting a dirty towel at this point, stop and fix the area before proceeding with removal. The first step to the removal process is to “break through” the wax. This is done to make removal easier and safer on the paint. To do this, fold the towel into fourths, and place on a section of the panel you want to begin removing. Apply pressure and twist the towel left and right underneath your palm.

When you lift the towel you should see an area that is haze free and beautiful.

You will continue removing the wax using this section as the “epicenter” and working out from it. In short, slow, almost chipping movements, move the towel perpendicular to the way you applied the wax. This will ensure you end up without streaks.

Continue in this manner over the entire car, re-breaking the wax on each panel. Again, think “W’s” and never doing the “wild-arm”…always in control to keep from messing up all of your hard work. When finished with removal, it is a good idea to follow up with a second wipe down with a clean towel or even a quick detailer like Red Mist to ensure there are no streaks.

What’s left? Nothing! At this point you may not have cool Karate moves, but you have effectively waxed you paint to perfection and there’s nothing left to do but enjoy it. So grab a chair or the keys and show off that shine!

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Most people with a passion for detailing know that claying a car is good and a necessary process. You have been told it removes contaminates from the paint, and it helps to properly prep the paint for polishing or waxing. Well here is proof that claying increases the value of the effort.

I recently did a detailing job for a new client. The car had NEVER been done, and as I got up close and personal with the car I noticed these!

This is proof positive that rail dust/brake dust will have a negative effect upon the surface of the paint if not removed. I was able to remove the dust, but the damage was done. Upon looking at the damage through a 10x magnifying glass I could see the clear coat was pitted down through the color coat, primer and into the body of the car.

So keep up the efforts and hopefully you will never have have to see this. If you already have dust causing this kind damage, let’s get it into shape now.

As detailing enthusiasts look through posts outlining a complete detail of a car, they’re always impressed with before and after photos showcasing the fine polishing skills and products being used. We as professional detailers do our best to make them as informative and educational as we can, and sometimes we even get lucky by adding a bit of humor while we’re at it to keep the readers’ attention.

Many times however, these posts can skip over some of the most important steps in the process…proper preparation of the vehicle and the paint to get it ready for the crucial polishing. If we fail to properly prepare, we may not produce the best results, or worse yet we risk damaging the vehicle. That’s what you call ready – fire – aim!

Because I want to make sure that enthusiasts and detailers alike don’t fire before they aim, I decided to put together an outline for vehicle preparation to make sure that you are getting the most out of your polishing session and achieving the best results.

I know you’re anxious to pick up your Porter Cable 7424XP, Flex, or Makita polishers for a full-blown beautification session on your car, but put it back on the work bench for now because we’ve got some very important topics to cover first. I realize that the prep stage isn’t the fun part, but don’t worry…we’ll get to polishing.

Before we can achieve this:

We first need to deal with the realities of this:

Washing and Decontamination

First up is the washing stage. I know this sounds obvious, but stick with me here because I’m going to try to cover some critical information why this is all important. If you haven’t already read through my washing and drying tutorial as well as my Grit Guard 2×4 method article, now would be a good time to check them out so you get a better understanding of how the process works. It’s OK, really…we’ll all stay right here and wait for you to get back.

We’re waiting, and waiting…

Alright, you’re back! Did you pick up on anything that you may have been missing before? There’s some great information in those articles, right? (meanwhile Todd strains shoulder while patting self on back).

Despite the fact that we’re getting ready to polish, we still want to use the same safe techniques as we would when doing a normal maintenance wash. There’s no reason to cause any more damage by improper washing techniques just because we’re getting ready to polish. We’re going to be spending enough time with a buffer in our hands…no need to create more.

Before starting your wash, remove license plates and brackets whenever possible. First of all these are hiding places for gritty dirt, and secondly they get in the way when polishing. It only takes a few moments to remove and re-install them, but you could spend a whole lot more time taping and trying to polish around them if you don’t.

Be sure to thoroughly clean the vehicle to remove any and all dirt, debris, bugs, leaves, etc. All of this gets in the way of polishing, and if there’s any dirt or debris left on the surface, it can get caught in the pad while polishing and you could risk doing more damage than good.

Not only do we need to remove all the potentially abrasive dirt and debris from the car, but we also need to make sure that the surface is free from any previous wax, sealants, grease, tar, etc. I know that the grease and tar examples are obvious, but do you know why it’s important to remove wax and sealants before polishing? It’s because some of these products can run interference with the the polish and pad. Just think of it as a barrier that rests between the paint that you want to polish, and the polishing media itself. There are some products out there (silicones in particular) that will make the polishing process extremely difficult, if not impossible.

There are a few tools, products, and processes that will help you in your quest to completely free sealants and waxes from the paint. For your wash solution, I would recommend one of the many that offer mixing ratios specificially for this purpose. Products like Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Clear, or their newer Citrus Wash come to mind. By mixing at these stronger ratios, the wash solution will work to break down previous waxes and sealants. You can also dial in a higher ratio on your Gilmour Foam Gun, and let it dwell on the surface for a while before washing. Once you’ve soaked the car and allowed it to dwell, do your normal wash process with your buckets also filled with a stronger ratio, and use your sheepskin wash mitt.

So how do you know whether the vehicle still has a good layer of a wax and/or sealant? Well the easiest way to tell is spray the surface with your hose, and see if the water beads. The tighter the beading, the better the protection is (in most cases). If there’s no beading whatsoever, then shame on you for not keeping a good layer of protection on your car.

If you look at this picture, you’ll notice how the water is beading nicely, indicating a coat of wax or sealant on the surface that needs to come off.

Another good product for this application is P21S Total Auto Wash. The way I use it to strip wax is to put it in a spray bottle full strength, and pre-soak the area I’m getting ready to wash. As for dwell time, I’ll typically spray all of the horizontal surfaces first, then wash those areas, then spray down one side of the car then wash it, and so on until I’m finished with the entire car.

Caution: Be careful when applying any APC to either painted surfaces, or exterior trim (rubber, plastic, metal) pieces. Despite the fact that many products like TAW are usully very safe, there are still variables out there that could cause irreparable staining. Be especially careful around older vehicles. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. When in doubt, simply go from a strong wash to claying to be safe.

In this photo, I sprayed a small section with P21S TAW, let it sit for a few moments, and then washed off that area with a strong solution of CG Wash & Clear. After I rinsed it off, you can see that the water is still beading in the areas that weren’t washed, but the area that I did spray and wash is completely free from wax (no beading).

Claying

Now that we have the car squeaky clean and free from waxes and sealants, it’s time to move on to the next stage of paint decontamination which is claying. If you’re read through my tutorial on how to use a clay bar (another shameless plug of a previous article!), you understand how clay works to remove all of the embedded contaminants from the surface. This is all the stuff that sticks to your paint, but won’t come off in the normal washing process. While I’m washing the vehicle I’ll typically run my hands across the paint in a variety of areas to check for a gritty feeling. This will give me a good indication of how much claying will be required.

The claying process is very important, and it needs to be done with care as well. If your clay gets abrasive debris caught in it, and you’re not regularly kneading the clay to expose a fresh surface, then you can potentially scratch the surface pretty badly. If you follow my tutorial however, you should be good to go.

Use a fresh clay bar (fine grade clay is all that is needed most of the time), and a good quality clay lube like Dodo Juice Born Slippy to ensure a clean surface completely free of potentially abrasive contaminants prior to polishing.

This photo will give you an idea of the level of contaminants that the claying process can remove.

If the finish of the car required a lot of claying, or if you used a quick detailer as a clay lube which left a “slick” surface, then I would recommend washing the vehicle one more time to remove any of the residue. At the very least, wipe down each panel with isopropyl alcohol.

Taping

OK, now we’re ready for polishing right? Well actually no, we are not. We prepped the surface by thoroughly cleaning and claying it; now we need to tape it to protect delicate materials and edges that could potentially get damaged if they come in contact with the buffer (especially if we’re using a rotary).

When we’re looking at places to tape, we want to protect sharp items that could get caught by the buffer pad (emblems), rubber that could get damaged or stained (window seals), places where uneven body panels/seams meet, or simply items that stick out and can easily get hit by a buffer (door handles, underneath sides of mirrors, etc).

For most of the work I do I use 3/4″ tape, and 1/4″ for the edge of protective film (3M Clear Bra or Venture Shield). Just make sure that the surfaces are completely dry because the tape will come off and leave the area unprotected.

Here are a few examples of areas that require taping prior to polishing:

Vinyl graphics that are on top of the clear coat

Rubber window and door seals

Protruding edges (the entire edge would get taped here. I only have it partially taped for photo purposes)

On this photo, I am protecting a rubber window trim, window felt (vertical tape), and you can also see where I have a vertical surface protected for when I’m polishing the horizontal edge just below it.

And on this one, there is a small seam that I have taped up with 1/4″ tape just to prevent a buildup of polish. A little bit of tape can prevent a lot of cleanup afterwards! We’ve all seen cars with compound caked in the seams, and I can say that it’s no fun to clean up after it’s hardened.

Taping is all about common sense really. If you think that there’s even a slight possibility that a part of the car could easily be damaged or stained, then tape it off.

Well we’ve gone through a lot of information, so let’s do a quick review of what we need to do to prep a car for polishing:

Thoroughly wash the car using a strong ratio of wash solution to help strip any previous waxes and/or sealants. A clean, wax/sealant-free finish is required to get the most out of our polishing session.

Clay the surface of the car to remove any embedded contaminants that doesn’t come off with normal washing.

Tape up all rubber trim, uneven seams, protruding parts (door handles), emblems, and any other part of the car that could potentially get stained by polish or damaged by a buffer.

For convenience, I have put together a couple of Pre-Polish Prep Kits that include all the essentials required to get your vehicle ready for the polishing stage.

Hi. I live in California, and it recently rained. I just washed BMW
330Ci Convertible, and it appears that the rain has left acid marks on
my car. I need to get these marks off. They are on the paint, as well
as on the windshield. If you could please recommend a product that I
could possibly use that would be great. Thanks so much!

Connor Gaballa

Connor!

Thanks for asking. I’m going to assume you got some mild spotting going on. I also bet you have a black car, maybe even the high maintenance JET BLACK paint. Either way here are some things you can try.

First I would wash the car. Second, if that makes no difference I would use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and distilled water. If this works then the spotting was hard water and the acidic vinegar counteracted the alkali based hard water. Another product you could try is CG water spot remover. If you still don’t have the results you want, sell the car and get a bike………… no you can clay the spotting and see if it’s fallout from the atmosphere. If these spots are still surviving your battery of trials it’s time to polish either by hand or machine. Meguairs 205 would be a least aggressive starting point, and you can work up if needed. Meguairs scratch X is also a good hand polish to have around for quick touch up. If you still have spotting, I can suggest some good detailers in Calif you might take it to.

If you have photos, and what type of paint you have I can be more specific in my reply, but this is a good starting point. Report back what worked best.

This particular Corvette is actually the second Corvette I’ve done for the owner now. It is a 1966 Corvette Sting Ray with the 425HP 427 motor. The car only has about 58,000 original miles on the clock and it received a body of restoration approximately three years prior where pretty much every nut and bolt was replaced. Needless to say, I was very eager to work on one of the worlds most sought after classic muscle cars.

Upon inspection of the car the owner and I had decided upon a 2 step correction as there was only moderate swirling and a few random deep scratches. However, the more I looked at the car under the fluorescent lights of my garage the more I noticed how much the paint had shrunk down since it was first wet sanded and buffed. The overall texture of the paint had a rough distorted look to it and it lacked the smoothness, depth and gloss that you would expect in a well restored car.

Here is the car from about 10 feet away…looks great right?

Let’s zoom in a little closer…

Even closer…still think it looks good?

Now that were zoomed in close you can get a good idea of what I’m referring too, especially if you focus on the edge of the fluorescent light bulb in the reflection.

Here you can see the condition of the paint which really only had some moderate swirling that a 1 or 2 step correction would have easily removed.

Another

Here we can see some random deep scratches on the left rear panel which was likely caused by the rubber hose dragging over the paint while filling gas.

As you can imagine, the finish on this car really started to bother me since I knew I could make it look much better, but a simple 2 step correction was not the answer. After going round in round in my head about it I decided to call up the owner and discuss some possible options. I told him I really wanted to wet sand the paint, but that I was a little hesitant having no knowledge of how much paint was actually applied to the car during the restoration. On a typical car one would use a PTG (Paint Thickness Gauge) to measure the overall thickness of the paint. When I say typical I’m referring to a car where the body is made of metal, and not fiber glass like a Corvette. Unfortunately my PTG only works on ferrous and non-ferrous metals and I really didn’t feel like forking out $2000 for a high end ultrasonic PTG that is capable of reading various materials such as fiberglass. The owner however assured me that the painter had applied several coats of clear and that he was confident that there was more than enough material to work with. Though this made me feel a little more confident, I decided not to push my luck by risking a strike through from sanding too much.

Since this car has never seen rain from the day of the restoration, and it is always garaged, a simple wash with ONR was all that was needed followed by a light claying.

For the wet sanding of this car I chose to do the work by hand using a Meguiar’s foam sanding block wrapped with Meguiar’s 2000 grit paper, and then following that up with Meguiar’s 3000 grit paper. While I could have just stopped at the 2000 grit, it’s much easier to remove the sanding scratches when you follow with a 3000 grit or higher paper. As you can see below, I chose to tape off the edges to avoid the risk of a strike through. I also started off by only sanded the hood and then polishing a small spot to get an idea of how easy it would be to remove the sanding scratches. The last thing you ever want to do is wet sand an entire car only to find out that the removal of the scratches requires far more time and effort than you originally estimated…just a little tip I learned from a friend of mine.

There is always that time that comes along when your clay bar just isn’t enough to remove the contamination at task. For example, say you have some road tar, sap, grease, adhesive (from old stickers, pin stripes, emblems, etc) or an area loaded with bugs and grime, using Stoner’s Tarminator directly on the surface can help to safely remove the bonded contamination.

When using Stoner’s Tarminator I will first make sure the area I am working on has been washed and free of dirt particles to further assure no damage is caused. Then with the surface still damp, I will spray a liberal amount of Tarminator directly onto the surface and let dwell for 30-45 seconds to break up the contamination.

Next I will use my DI All Purpose Microfiber Towel to wipe away the surface and check for complete removal. If the affected area needs more cleaning, I will repeat the process above but will use less product.

Stoner Tarminator is completely clear coat safe. It will remove silicone, oils, and wax build up without damaging any exterior trim.

So whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional detailer, having Stoner’s Tarminator in your arsenal is a must. I know I use it on almost all of my details somewhere on the car given how versatile and safe this product is.

If you have any additional comments or questions on Stoner’s Tarminator or the process, please submit your reply in the comment box below.

]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/stoners-tarminator-not-just-for-removing-tar/feed/17Do You Recommend Using a Clay Bar on a Brand New Car?http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/do-you-recommend-using-a-clay-bar-on-a-brand-new-car/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/do-you-recommend-using-a-clay-bar-on-a-brand-new-car/#commentsMon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:06 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=633I’m often asked by people whether they should clay their brand new car, after all, it is brand new right? The answer to this question is actually more yes than no.

The thing is, most new cars can sit outside unprotected both at the factory and at the new car lots for weeks and even months. Most vehicles are also shipped via train or transport to their destination. During this time new cars are subject to all kinds of harsh elements which bond to your vehicles finish, and they cannot be removed by normal washing. I think you will be very surprised just how dirty your new cars paint really is!

The answer to this question can actually be found by the use of the “baggy test”. After properly washing and drying your car, simply place your hand into a plastic sandwich baggie and gently glide it over all the painted surfaces. If your paint feels rough or textured, then you need to clay. If it feels smooth as glass than you shouldn’t need to clay, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt. In all honestly, claying a new car shouldn’t take more than 30-45 minutes, and it requires very little effort. It is my professional opinion that every new car should at least be washed, clayed, and protected as soon as you take delivery.

I have a clear bra on my black 05 C6 Corvette. Bug stains are impossible to remove, even though I wash down the front at the end of the day with car wash (50%) and water. I have even tried to polish them out by hand and with a orbital buffer. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Answer: Especially during heavy bug season, you always want to quickly and safely clean off the bug residue from the clear bra and any painted surfaces. Keeping a pre-mix of car wash and water on hand like you do is a great idea, and a convenient way to quickly clean them off. Other product recommendations for quick cleaning would be Optimum No Rinse, Plexus, or any quick detailer. If you have heavier contaminations, you could consider a product like Poorboy’s Bug Squash. You should also keep a clay bar handy as well because they can become very difficult to remove if allowed to harden on the surface.

The problem with bugs is that they’re acidic, and can do permanent damage to paint and clear bras. I’ve seen some that begin etching almost immediately, while others clean off with no issues even after they’ve been sitting a while. If you’ve tried to polish the marks out and they still remain, there’s a good chance that they have actually etched into the surface of the clear film. If that’s the case, then there’s not much that can be done about them. I have worked on cars with permanent bug damage done to the film.

Also, I would appreciate your recommendations on the proper care of a clear bra.

Answer: For the most part, clear bras and protective film should be maintained the same as the painted surfaces. You can wash them as you would the rest of the car, and you can wax and protect them the same too. When claying or waxing (paste wax) however, just be careful of the edges of the film. Wax can accumulate at the edge and leave a white line, and clay can get caught in the edge too. Just don’t use any harsh chemicals (the same as you would treat the paint), and remember that the protective film can scratch and swirl just like paint can. Although the manufacturers of the protective film don’t recommend using abrasive polishes, most detailers take a conservative approach with mild polishes and pads that do a great job of cleaning up swirls and restoring gloss. When applying a sealant to cars with clear bras, I typically use Optimum Opti-Seal.

If you have any additional comments or questions, please submit your reply in the comment box below.

What is a clay bar

To many, claying is a magical and mysterious process that only the professional detailers use. They have heard that using a clay bar will remove contaminants and provide a very smooth finish, but they are reluctant to try it.

While there are a few important safety tips to be aware of before trying it, claying your vehicle is actually quite easy and doing it a couple of times per year will help maintain a smooth, clean finish.

Let’s take a look at a few key areas about claying.

Why Clay?

The surface of your vehicle is constantly getting exposed to airborne contaminants that will actually stick to the finish and potentially cause damage. Items like brake dust, industrial fallout, bug residue, tar, etc. Some of these items can be corrosive, and they will start to damage the clear coat and cause rust spots if not removed regularly by using a clay bar. Tiny metal particles (commonly referred to as rail dust) will embed into the finish, and will show up as very small rust colored specs that are particularly easy to spot on white cars.

Regular washing doesn’t always remove all of the contaminants from the surface either. If you run your car through the occasional touch-less car wash (do NOT use car washes with brushes or anything else that touches the surface…that’s another topic I will cover), you will notice that there is still a film of road grime left. Over time that will build up and the only way to remove it is by claying.

By rubbing the detailing clay across the surface of the vehicles, it will actually trap these particles and contaminants leaving a fresh, smooth finish.

Not only does claying prevent potential damage from some of these corrosive materials, but it also provides a smooth surface that allows your sealant or wax to adhere better.

Do brand new cars need to be clayed?

Yes, absolutely! Once cars are built, they typically sit in lots or shipping docks that have a high exposure to industrial fallout. Many of them also spend time on trains and trucks to get to their final destinations where…they sit in lots some more! It’s very common to find rail dust on brand new vehicles. I always recommend that a brand new car gets (at the very least) clayed to remove these contaminants.

How often should I clay my car?

That depends on a lot of factors, but as a rule of thumb I recommend that it be done twice per year. My personal vehicles will get clayed right after we come out of the harsh Midwest winter and then again in the fall before I apply my winter sealant. If you live or work in an area with a high level of industrial fallout, then it should be done more often.

How do I know if my car needs to be clayed?

When the car is wet, lightly run your fingers across the surface to see if you feel any rough spots. If so, you’re feeling contaminants that need to be removed. Another way is to use the “bag method”. You can either put your hand inside of a plastic baggie, or use some plastic wrap from the kitchen. Run this across the surface with your hand, and if anything grabs at the plastic, you know that you need to clay.

What’s the claying process?

First you’ll need some clay and a proper clay lubricant to protect the surface. Without lubrication, the clay cannot glide across the surface, and will actually leave marring and residue (OK, important safety tip…use plenty of clay lube!).

If you are new to clay, or you clay often and thus already have a vehicle in good condition, I would recommend using a fine grade bar of clay from Clay Magic, Chemical Guys, or Clear Kote. The finer the clay, the less chance of marring the finish. The medium grade clay is used for more heavily contaminated vehicles (cars that have gone many years without claying), and it has a greater risk of marring the finish. It’s only recommended that you use medium grade clay if you are polishing afterwards.

Before you start, you’ll want to thoroughly wash and dry the vehicle as you normally would. This is all you need to do to prep the surface for claying.

Take your clay bar and cut it up into 3 or 4 equally sized pieces. You don’t want to use one big piece because if you drop it on the ground, it needs to be thrown away! You always want a few backup pieces available to you.

Now take one of the pieces and flatten it out so it’s easily held with about 3 fingers.

Work in small sections (24″ x 24″) so that your lubricant doesn’t have a chance to dry out, and preferably do it in the shade. Liberally spray your clay lubricant across the surface. If you miss a spot, the clay will stick so be sure to get an even coverage.

With light pressure, glide the clay back and forth across the surface. Do this only in one direction and back as opposed to circles or switching directions. You should be able to hear and feel the clay picking up contaminants as it glides across the paint. Be sure not to use too much pressure otherwise you will risk marring or scratching the finish (another important safety tip!).

After a few passes you should notice that the clay glides effortlessly, and you will no longer feel or hear the roughness in the finish. Once you have achieved this, it is time to move to the next section. If you have a section that still feels rough after a few passes, re-mist the area with lubricant as you’re going to make sure the clay moves freely.

You always want to keep a fresh side of the clay on the paint, so be sure to inspect it often. Do a few small sections, and then flip the clay over to exposure a fresh side. After you have done both sides, you can fold the clay a few times, knead it, and then re-flatten it out to make sure you have a clean piece of clay to work with. You should continually check the clay to make sure there are no heavy pieces of debris in it that could potentially harm the finish.

Typically the worst areas of the vehicle will be the horizontal surfaces, the back end, and the areas directly behind the wheels.

You can also use clay to thoroughly clean the exterior windows, and the wheels as well.

If at the end of the process the clay appears to be heavily contaminated (significantly discolored or feels rough), then throw it away. In most cases it can be used again, so for storage I recommend that you spray the piece with your lubricant, and put it in a zip-lock baggie. Don’t leave the clay out and exposed as it can dry out and/or collect dirt and debris.

Here you can see a little bit of contamination in the clay after doing just one small section…on a new, garage-kept Corvette with only 1400 miles on it!

If it’s your first time, you should expect the process to take an hour or so. Once you’ve done it a few times (and your car is already pretty clean), you should be able to eventually bring the total amount of time down to about 30 minutes or less.

Once again, if you drop your clay…throw it away!

After you’re done claying the car and you’ve exposed a smooth new surface, you have a few options for your next step.

Some say to re-wash the car to remove any potential debris from the claying process, and some say it’s not necessary. Personally, I like to do a quick wash afterwards to make absolutely sure that any debris is removed along with the residue of the clay lubricant.

If you’re machine polishing, then you’re surface is prepped and ready. If you want to do it by hand, a product like Dodo Juice’s Lime Prime pre-wax cleanser (for light defect removal), or their Lime Prime Lite (no abrasives) to give the paint a nice shine, and a good base for waxing.

Or finally at this point you can go straight to your favorite wax or sealant.

Now you have learned how to use detailing clay like a pro, and you are on your way to keeping a much nicer finish on your vehicle! Have fun…

This photo represents the finish after washing, claying, polishing, sealing, and waxing:

If you have any additional comments or questions, please submit your reply in the comment box below.

Next up is to clay the surface to remove any contaminants that still sit on the paint. After you’ve washed your car and it is still wet, you can lightly glide your hand across the surface to see if it’s completely smooth, or if you feel any rough areas. The contaminants causing the rough feeling need to be removed. I recommend using a clay bar at least once per year (after coming out of winter) to keep the finish looking its best.

Since Acura paint (and most Japanese manufacturers) mar so easily, you want to do this process very carefully if you’re not planning to polish afterwards. I recommend using the DI fine grade clay bar, and Dodo Juice Born Slippy clay lube. Remember during the process to use very light pressure and to use plenty of lubricant to protect the finish from marring. For a complete step-by-step guide, please refer to my Tutorial on Proper Clay Bar Usage.

Start with a fresh piece of clay.

Apply plenty of clay lube, and lightly glide the clay across the surface in a straight back and forth motion. You should hear and feel the clay picking up contaminants.

On most cars you will find that the most contaminated areas are the horizontal surfaces, the areas just behind the wheels, and the front and back bumpers.

So far I’ve covered techniques and methods that can and should be performed by enthusiasts at all levels. Now I’m going to go over more advanced topics, but I don’t want the average enthusiasts to stop reading here! There is still plenty to discuss and learn, and later I will be reviewing interior detailing that everybody will benefit from.

The next step is to take some paint thickness readings to see if any work has previously been done to it. While I’m looking for overall thickness, I’m mainly looking for consistencies. If I find an area that’s very thin or thick compared to the rest of the vehicle, then I know it’s been worked on (body work or heavy compounding) and will treat it accordingly. If I find a thin area in particular, I’ll be extra cautious and only lightly polish it.

Once the car has been clayed and wiped down, and measurements taken, it’s now time to prep for polishing by taping up plastic and rubber trim, and other areas that can get damaged by the polisher. Some polishes have a tendency to stain black plastics and rubber, so you want to be sure to get it all covered up. I find that 3M’s blue painter’s tape works perfectly, and is readily available at your local home improvement store.

On the TL doors, the rubber seal comes over the top edge of the door, and then overlaps the pillar above it. This is a common area to get stained by polish or wax, so you definitely want to cover it up. Instead of just taping directly over it, I’ll open the door and cover the inner and outer area (fold it over). This way it’s covered, and you can still get in and out of the car if needed.

Other areas you need to be careful of on the TL’s are the hood and trunk. If you look closely at the seams where the hood/trunk lid and fenders meet, they are not even (especially the trunk area closest to the rear windshield). If you try to polish over these, there’s a good chance you could burn through the paint on the higher of the two surfaces if not careful. This is more of an issue when using a rotary versus a random orbital, but better safe than sorry!

What I’ll do is tape over the hood-side of the edge and tuck it into the seam when polishing the fender. When I move on to polishing the hood, then I’ll remove the tape from that side, and move it over to the fender. You could also just apply the tape where it adheres to both edges and covers the seam…whatever works best for you. The key is to always be careful at seams, edges, and high spots because that’s where the paint is typically the thinnest.

Since I know the Acura paint so well, I had a plan of attack for polish and pad combinations based on the level of correction it required. I grabbed for an orange Lake Country pad (light cutting), and a bottle of Menzerna PO203S Power Finish. This is a medium-cut polish that finishes down extremely well. I could have used a heavier polish (Menzerna SIP) and a less aggressive pad (white polishing), but it wouldn’t have finished off as well. The goal is to use just enough cut with first polish and finish down as nicely as possible so that your final polish step is much easier. NBP finishes extremely well with Menzerna PO85RD, and the combination of PO203S/orange allowed me to go straight to the ultra-fine PO85RD afterwards.

Just 3 or 4 small drops of polish is all that is required for a working area (the bonus dribble in the middle is unnecessary).

Results after one pass of Menzerna Power Finish on an orange pad (Return to Top)

Here is the fender before. Notice that it is hazed over with fine scratches and swirls that prevent the blue flake from showing that well.

After just one pass of Power Finish / orange pad on the Makita rotary. I first worked the polish in at 900rpm’s for a few passes, then kicked it up to 1500rpm until the polish was fully broken down, and then backed it down to 900 rpm’s for a few more passes to burnish the paint and leave a nice finish.

Look at the difference in clarity in the before and after photos. This first step restored the natural deep blacks, and allowed the blue flake to show through.

Now it’s time to move on to the hideous rocker panels. This is always the worst area of every TL, and I knew it would require more aggressive tactics to get it looking good. I knew that some of the defects would be too deep to safely remove, but if I could at least get it 80% corrected I would be happy, and the transformation would be huge.

For this area I used Megs 105 and an orange 4″ spot pad. After a couple of passes, all of the swirls were gone, leaving just some of the deeper imperfections.

Sorry that this photo wasn’t in better focus…it’s hard to get these shots perfect while lying on the floor in poor lighting. It sure looked good in the viewfinder after I took it.

I’ve moved my way around to the back of the TL, and it was time to tackle the heavy stain. You can see here how severe it was in addition to the general cloudiness of the paint because of swirls and scratches.

First I tried the regular combination I was using on the rest of the car (Power Finish/orange), but the stain laughed at me! It was personal at this point so I broke out the big guns…Purple Foamed Wool pad primed with Megs 105. I hit it at 1500rpm for a bit and then checked my work to see how the stain looked. I was happy to see that I made a major dent in it, and then applied more 105 and hit it again. I was able to get rid of about 98% of the stain, as it left some very slight but deep etching into the clear. You had to really look hard to even see it.

As is to be expected, the Purple Foamed Wool left a bit of marring and holograms on the soft Acura paint, so I went back over it with the combination of Power Finish and an orange pad to clean it up.

Polish worked until broken down, and ready to be removed.

All cleared up! Look at the difference between this photo and the first one that showed the stain and haziness. Big transformation!

For working on the back face of the trunk lid, you need to prop it open to safely polish the lower portion…otherwise you risk damaging the top face of the bumper underneath. For this I simply place a bottle of polish on either side of the trunk jambs to prop it open.

And here you can see how much easier it is to polish these areas.

Just keep the trunk lid open to work on this part of the bumper with a 4″ spot pad. This is typically another area of the car that gets abused pretty badly because of getting stuff in and out of the trunk. And there’s no need for grey-hair comments here…I’m completely aware!

As I work my way around to the right side of the TL, I start to encounter all of the scrapes. Here’s a bit on the right rear fender.

Once again…big difference in the color and the blue really shines through now.

More scrapes, and more cloudy finish.

Afterwards it looks like a completely different panel.

I’m just hanging out in the garage…on the floor…taking pictures of myself. I think the high heat and humidity are getting to me.

Remember how bad the lower rocker panels looked in the first photos? There was no reflection in them whatsoever. Now look at them…like mirrors! Proper leveling of the painted finishes really creates a high level of reflectivity.

I kept my TL-S parked right behind the one I was working on so I had an easy reference for the gloss level of the finish. Since I had not gotten to final polishing yet, my TL-S still had the edge…more work to be done!

The hood typically gets beat up quite a bit, and requires more effort than most parts of the car. This TL was no exception.

First I polished it with Purple Foamed Wool and Power Finish to remove the deeper defects, and then followed that up with an orange pad and Power Finish to remove the haze left by the heavy-cutting wool. Even before the final polish you can see that the clarity is greatly improved.

These pillars are soft, and get swirled and scratched very easily. This is another area where people like to grab hold of to close the door. They polished out easily with a 4″ white pad and Power Finish.

I’ve finally completed the first polishing stage to remove all of the defects, so I’m ready to go back over the entire car with Menzerna PO85RD ultra-fine polish to jewel the finish and bring out the highest gloss possible. I did this step with a very soft blue (finessing) pad. The most effective method I have found for this polish is to work it in at 900rpm, then move my way up to about 1400rpm with medium pressure, and then back it down to 900rpm with no pressure and slow passes for as long as you can work the polish without it drying up. This ensures maximum gloss and clarity without any worries of holograms.

PO85RD is arguably one of the absolute best ultra-fine polishes available, and it is very easy to work with. When you think that the finish looks good, you can almost always do another polishing step by using PO85RD and take the gloss to another level. In polishing, there’s a significant difference between a finish that looks good, and one that looks great!

All the polishing is now completed, I have thoroughly removed all of the polish and carrier oils from the surface by (gently) wiping it down with a plush towel and Isopropyl Alcohol, and I’m getting ready to start cleaning polish dust out of door jambs, the trunk area, etc. I wanted to snap a few photos before applying sealant so that you can see the true condition of the paint. As I’m sure you will agree, the NBP now looks absolutely stunning!

Look at the clarity in the bumper. When you look into the reflections, it really looks like a mirror.

Now onto the dirty work of cleaning polishing dust out of everywhere. Even if you’re not polishing, these areas need to be tended to on occasion. The easiest solution I have found is to keep a spray bottle full of Optimum No Rinse at their quick detailer ratio on hand. Lightly spray the area and wipe it down with a clean microfiber towel. This works great for the trunk lid, inside the hood, door jambs, and for the fuel fill area.